Mum-of-two Anita Naik has been an agony aunt for 32 years
ANITA NAIK
My grandson is shy
Q My grandson is six and doesn’t like to be around people he doesn’t know. We were at a party and he wouldn’t come off his dad’s lap to play with the other kids. I told him he was being silly, which caused an argument. My daughter says he has social anxiety.
ASocial anxiety is more than shyness – it’s an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged. This can affect school and other daily activities, such as talking to others or attending a party. Your grandson is already overly critical of himself, so telling him he’s being silly only makes the situation worse. Talk to him about how he feels and why he’s afraid and encourage him to take small steps. He can learn to cope, with the right help and support.
I FOUND OUT HE’S SLEEPING WITH OTHER WOMEN
Q I have been sleeping with a man I met on a dating app for six months. I saw him every weekend and assumed we were a couple. Then I found out he’d been sleeping with other women for even longer than he had with me. I feel devastated and am put off trying again.
A Everyone behaves differently on dating apps, so it’s important to set boundaries as soon as you feel yourself getting serious. It sounds as if this man has no intention of being attached to anyone and, despite sleeping with you, kept quiet about his true intentions. Luckily, not everyone is like this, so
